


Pagination

by xiaohaohao



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Powers, Hints at suicide, Temporary Character Death, charmspeaker! jeno, fire manipulator! donghyuck, healer! jisung, super strong! mark, telekinetic! chenle, teleporter! jaemin, tw: death, weather manipulator! renjun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 22:48:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16752919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiaohaohao/pseuds/xiaohaohao
Summary: "What if we were all characters in a book, and every time we forget something, it's just the author backspacing?"orMark becomes self-aware, but there's nothing in the world that he can do to stop the series of events that are about to follow





	Pagination

“Hey, Mark?”

 

“Yeah, Renjun?”

 

There was a rustling of sheets as Renjun shifted to look at the eldest. It was dark out, and the seven children were supposed to be asleep. Mark skimmed his eyes over the other sleeping figures, smiling slightly at the sight of Jaemin snuggling towards Jeno and Jisung, unconsciously draping an arm over them. He turned his focus back towards the snaggletoothed boy stroking Chenle’s hair. The younger looked content, unconsciously preening at Renjun’s actions, while Renjun stared blankly ahead. He paused for a little, seemingly mulling over his words, before finally opening his mouth to speak.

 

“Do you ever get the feeling, that you are being watched?” the younger boy hummed.

 

Mark stiffened.

 

* * *

 

Jaemin’s loud laughs could be heard all the way from the small clearing. Mark chuckled. It was one of the rare instances when they were able to act like their own age, far away from the old facility they once called home. (If it could even be called home, that is. It was all the seven of them ever knew before they managed to escape.) Jeno was probably laughing along, albeit much quieter than the other. Jaemin had the ability to do that, with his bright, blinding smile and natural sense of humour. The two of them were somewhere in the forest, collecting firewood for the campfire he and Donghyuck were currently setting up. Chenle and Jisung were sitting on one of the logs, the youngest belatedly telling Chenle a story when he halted abruptly.

 

“What’s wrong, Jisung?” Chenle questioned. The boy furrowed his brows, opening his mouth before closing it again.

 

“That’s the thing, Chenle. I can’t remember,” Jisung mumbled back, pouting slightly. And he was getting to the good part too, not that he remembered what it was anymore, just that it was supposed to be _amazing_.

 

Donghyuck dusts his hands and headed towards the other two, leaving Mark to set up the campfire by himself. _Of course Hyuck would do this_ , Mark thinks, scoffing slightly as the other blows him a small kiss. He plopped himself between the two, forcing the duo to shuffle away slightly. Clasping his hands together, he looked from Jisung to Chenle, back to Jisung again.

 

“You know what I think?” he started.

 

A pause.

 

“Oh no. Not this again.”

 

“No, shut up Chenle, let me speak. What if - no hey wait listen don’t hit me- what if, we’re all characters in a book, and every time we forget something, it’s just the author backspacing!” Donghyuck yelled, proud, hands flailing in excitement.

 

_Thwack!_

 

As ridiculous as it sounds, Mark knew Donghyuck was right.

 

* * *

 

 

Between the screaming from Jaemin and vicious attacking on Donghyuck and Chenle’s part, he almost failed to notice the tiny little detail.

 

It was normal for the seven of them to get involved in fights every now and then, what with being on the run and all. It had almost become a part of a routine - Wake up. Travel. Run for safety. When they think they’re finally safe, run into an attacker. Jaemin gives a warning. Donghyuck does something brash. Jisung saves everyone. Sleep. Rinse. Repeat.

 

He and Jeno were desperately trying to dodge the attacks, running and ducking, when Mark tripped. He looked up, screaming at Jeno to run, to leave him behind, when _it_ happened.

 

The attacker threw a knife at Jeno’s retreating back, but it stopped short, right before where the heart would be. Mark blinked. Once. Twice. Before he saw the scene rewind itself and the knife dig into Jeno’s leg instead. Before he knew what was happening, he was running towards the injured kid as Jaemin screeched and bit the attacker. Nobody seems to realise what happened, or what _almost_ did.

 

* * *

 

Mark kept a close eye for any more _anomalies_ as he’d like to call it, but so far, everything seemed to be fine. Jeno was patched up, thanks to Jisung’s superb skills, and the seven of them were heading to their next destination. The rest of the team were all chatting happily, Renjun and Chenle up front, Jeno and Jaemin behind him, with Donghyuck and Jisung at the back. As he looked around at the scenery, he felt someone tug at his sleeve.

 

“Someone’s coming. They just told me.” Finger pointing towards the sky, Jaemin’s eyes were wide with fear, voice laced with urgency. Before Mark could say anything, Chenle collapsed, an arrow deep in their back. There was blood everywhere, staining Chenle’s white shirt and Renjun’s hands as he tried to hold the younger one up. His eyes were wide, and frantic, darting side to side in an attempt to spot the attacker. The air was already crackling with static, and Mark’s eyes widened when he realised Jeno wasn’t going to try and calm Renjun down any time soon.

 

“They’re gone. Their job is done,” Jaemin bit their lip, stopping Donghyuck and Jeno from searching for the attacker. Jisung kneeled over Chenle, trying his best to pull the arrow out. Renjun shook his closest friend, but there’s no response. _It’s tipped with poison. One shot could kill._ Jaemin heard the voices say, and Mark knows there’s no hope for the young chinese boy. No matter how impossible it was theoretically, every word the voices uttered was law. He felt Jaemin’s fist tighten against the sleeve of his shirt. Needless to say, the rain didn’t stop pouring for the next few days.

 

When the rain finally let up, they found Renjun’s body, struck by lightning no doubt, in the same place they buried Chenle. All that’s left of him was a note. Two words. _I’m sorry._

 

Two weeks into the timeline, Mark suddenly found himself back at the same spot where it all happened. The two Chinese boys were very much alive and well, chattering on behind him. Mark stopped dead in his tracks, looking around confusedly at the other boys who were seemingly fine. He saw something flash evanescently in Jaemin’s eyes, gone as quickly as it had appeared. _Maybe it was just a trick of the light_ , Mark thought, seeing how Jaemin had immediately smiled and linked arms with Jisung. He shook his head to get rid of any more intrusive thoughts before scurrying forwards to rejoin the group, their footsteps light as if nothing they had just experienced actually happened.

 

* * *

 

Jaemin was… special. While the others were practising to get a hold of their skills, Jaemin spent time up in the treetops, talking to the air around him. Mark was watching Renjun help Chenle out with his telekinesis as Jisung healed up Donghyuck who had (yet again) burnt himself. They were still on the run, so each moment they had to figure out their skills were precious. Renjun was getting better at weather manipulation, and Jeno was getting better at charmspeak, if the way Donghyuck was belting out melodies against his will was anything to go by. Mark, himself, was training by moving around the big boulders to make their hiding spot for the night a little more inconspicuous. He didn’t worry much about Jaemin. He had an inkling that the other boy already had a good grasp on what he could do. Mark continued to hum quietly as the others either trained or messed around for the next couple of hours.

 

“It’s late guys. We should go to sleep,” Mark said as he carried Chenle, already halfway to dreamland, over his shoulder. A few of the other boys yawned, nodding as they got ready to go to bed. Jaemin teleported to his space, too lazy to actually do any walking in typical Jaemin fashion. “Its quiet tonight,” the boy had muttered, eyebrows furrowed, before shaking his head and nestling himself beside Renjun. Renjun, not one to reject any extra sources of warmth, unconsciously moved himself closer to the other boy. The rest of them bid their goodnights as they settled into their various spaces around the site. Not too long after, Mark went out like a light.

 

The first thing he heard was screaming. Mark startled awake, frantically searching for the source of the sound, before realising that the screaming was coming from none other than Jaemin himself. He was bent over Jisung who was coughing out blood, deathly pale and his hands shaking. Mark rushed to the youngest’s side, cursing under his breath as he opened a bottle of water for the younger to drink from. It was a side effect of over-using their powers. Mark knew. Usually, Jisung would heal them whenever it happened. But, like everyone else, there was always a limit to Jisung’s abilities. Meaning, that the younger boy couldn’t help himself when he was the one in need of healing. Mark couldn’t do anything but blame himself for not noticing it sooner.

 

“How could you do this! He doesn’t deserve this! Why is he the only one who needs to suffer?” Jaemin cried hysterically, looking upwards towards the sky. Jeno had woken up too, sensing the distress in the air, and began rubbing soothing circles Jaemin’s back.

 

“You can’t do this to him… You can’t,” Jaemin was sobbing into Jeno’s shoulder as the older whispered comforting words. Jisung was dying, and no one could save him. Jaemin's voice was hoarse as he continued to choke on his cries, clinging desperately to Jeno as the other combed through his hair. Jisung wiped the corner of his mouth, eyes teary as he looked at the other three boys he would gladly call his brothers, already accepting his inevitable fate.

 

The next day, though, Jeno, Jaemin and Jisung woke up, Jisung looking perfectly healthy, and none of them having had any recollection of the previous night.

 

 _(Except if Mark decided to look closely, he would have seen Jaemin clinging onto Jisung for the next few months, crying again later that evening, before making a promise that_ **_they_ ** _wouldn’t be able to hurt them. Not anymore._

 

_His eyes flashed red in the reflection of the stream below him. And, through the ripples of the water rushing past, Jaemin could just about make out the person he was searching for, back turned, hunched over a small book. He laughed, a wicked smile forming on his face as he leaned in closer to the water’s surface, closer to the person who had started it all. He could see his own face, smile bent, distorted by the current, gleaming dangerously as he went to finish what he should have done a long time ago.)_

 

* * *

 

“Mark?” Renjun questioned, snapping Mark back to the present. “So, do you?”

 

 _Yes. All the time._ He wanted to say, scream even. Mark wanted someone to finally understand everything, that they were all extremely lucky all seven of them had survived this long.

 

“No. You’re just delusional. Go to sleep.”

 

But he couldn’t. The author won’t let him. They never will.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in 2016 as an assignment for my creative writing class. Hopefully, my writing has improved from then... 
> 
> Give me some feedback if you will! Or thoughts on this story! Cos I'm planning on rewriting it with a different plot but similar idea of superpowered kids on the run
> 
> come talk to me on [twt!](https://twitter.com/lilacsjaem)


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